Blues No.8 Hoskins Sotutu has put the onus on his side to live up to the hype, as they prepare to enter the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs as the top side in the competition.
The Blues round out their regular season against NSW Waratahs at Sydney, with the top spot already sewn up, something Sotutu knows will count for nothing, unless they can turn it into a title.
They might have top of the table locked up, but the Blues are determined not ease off in any way. They're determined to finish the regular season with their 13th straight win this weekend.
"For us, it's about keeping that momentum and playing the game we want to be playing," All Black Sotutu told Newshub.
The Blues will play without in-form wing Caleb Clarke, who is sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring strain, but Sotutu feels the culture they've built will help fill any voids.
"[Captain Dalton Papalii] asked the question, does winning create a good culture or does culture create the winning," he said. "We all believe it's the culture that's the creator."
The Blues expect to continue that them into the playoffs and aren't shying away from expectations to turn their regular season dominance into a title in four weeks.
"You can be No.1, but if you get knocked out in the quarters, it doesn't mean anything," said Sotutu. "We're used to being the underdogs, but now being able to tip up a few teams, we're taking that No.1 spot and that's something we've got to live up to."
That won't come without challenges. Last weekend's last-minute win over ACT Brumbies was further proof of the growth Australian sides have shown this season and Sotutu thinks last year's failures have fired them up.
"They've got a bitter taste after last year's comp, so they've got a bit of a chip on the shoulder coming into this year," he said.
The same could be said of the Blues, after years of sustained disappointment. They now have the perfect opportunity to end it.
Join us at 9:45pm Saturday for live updates of the Blues v NSW Waratahs Super Rugby Pacific clash
